auto insurance coverage

derrick mason What’s the difference between PIP and medical payments coverage?

Auto insurance coverages are important to understand

Response : A very good question. Once you understand this you would know what auto insurance coverage you need and why you need. This is important since health expense is an expense you can never put off , you need to be in good health and restort your health to survive. You can put off the repair of the car but can you put off the body issues?

 Basic liability insurance covers the injuries you cause to others in car accidents. But what about your injuries? You’ll need to buy extra coverage to cover those. There are two main kinds of coverage that offer payments for a driver’s medical bills after an auto accident: medical payments coverage and personal injury protection (PIP). Here’s how these two types of coverage work.

Medical payments coverage is an optional type of insurance that pays for necessary medical bills for you and your passengers after an accident, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It will cover you even if you’re the one who caused the accident. The amount of the payout depends on how much coverage you buy; generally, only treatment received within three years of the accident is eligible, according to Progressive. In addition to paying medical bills, medical payments coverage will pay for funeral expenses if you or your passengers die.

Medical payments coverage can end up overlapping with a person’s general health insurance coverage. But for those without comprehensive employer health insurance, medical payments coverage can be a safeguard against the expensive injuries that result from auto accidents.

Personal injury protection (PIP)

PIP pays for medical bills, funeral costs and lost wages after an accident. In states with no-fault insurance systems, it is a required type of coverage. No-fault states require that accident victims collect from their own insurance companies instead of suing the at-fault driver’s insurance company. PIP, which pays out no matter who is at fault, allows them to do that.

Some states that don’t have no-fault systems still require PIP. Texas, for example, requires drivers to buy it unless they sign a waiver specifically rejecting it, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Similar but different

If you live in a state that offers both medical payments coverage and PIP (and where both are optional), it’s important to know the differences.

For one thing, PIP covers lost wages, while medical payments coverage does not, according to the NAIC. In other words, PIP will help make up for the wages you missed while recovering and unable to work. Medical payments coverage, meanwhile, pays only for your medical bills.

Another key difference has to do with something called “subrogation.” If you have PIP and you get a settlement from the other driver’s insurance company, you can keep all of the money, according to the website of Robert C. Slim, a personal injury attorney in Dallas. For example, say you get $2,000 from your PIP coverage to pay your medical bills and then sue the other driver’s insurer and get a settlement $5,000. That settlement is yours to keep.

In some states, though, things can get more complicated when it comes to medical payments coverage, as it is subject to subrogation (a legal term for reimbursement). For example, say your insurer pays your medical payments claim and you then get a settlement from the other driver’s insurer. Depending on your state, your insurer might be entitled to part of that settlement as reimbursement for the medical payments claim.

Get your car insurance quote, once you know what coverages you require.

Matt Domian : I am having a problem understanding what are the coverages for auto insurance policy? If I do not know the coverages how can I compare auto insurance quotes or review auto insurance coverage ?

Response : Matt, this is a very good question. Let me explain the basic coverages and then I will give you an idea as to what to compare. A  basic auto insurance policy is made up of five different kinds of coverage:

1. Bodily Injury Liability
2. Property Damage Liability
3. Medical Payments Coverage or Personal Injury Protection
4. Uninsured & Under insured Motorist Coverage
5. Physical Damage Coverage (Collision and Comprehensive)

Depending on the state where you live, you will find difference as to what is the legally required minimum coverage that you need.

All states require that you have some form of liability insurance when operating a motor vehicle. The basic insurance policy covers Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability. These coverages provide protection if you are found legally responsible for the injury or death of another person resulting from a car accident. Minimum auto insurance policy coverage amounts vary from state to state.

Medical Payments (or “Med Pay”) is an optional coverage that covers medical expenses for you and your passengers if injured in an accident (regardless of fault). Some states require that you carry Personal Injury Protection (a broader form of Med Pay that may include income replacement and disability benefits). Like Bodily Injury Liability, the amount of Med Pay you can purchase also varies from state to state.

Physical Damage Coverage, which is also optional, includes Collision and Comprehensive coverage. Basically, these two coverages protect your own vehicle from fire, theft (including contents), vandalism, or an upset with another vehicle or object – how much or how little you get depends on the value of what you’ve got.

Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage protects you and your passengers from people driving around with little or no insurance (or hit-and-run motorists). This coverage is required in many states.

Now let me tell you what to companre- first you will compare the coverages offered by the different companies for the same limits and compare the auto insurance rates and final premium charged by each one of them. Once, you have done this compare the other benefits given by each one of them – any additional coverages or services like road service, any electronic monitoring device for free. Last but not least compare the service reputation of the inusrance company. Many people worry about the stability and economic standing of the insurance company, however, this should not be a concern for the customer since the insurance regulatory bodies take care of this. Review auto insurance coverage and choice the right option for yourself.

Dan Cowther :Can one really have gauranteed auto insurance premiums savings ?

Response : Dan, we understand that most people never make an effort to check their auto insurance policy, compare auto insurance quote nor reveiw car insurance  and always assume that it is a big deal to deal with the insurance companies. Here are 10 tips on how to guarantee auto insurance premiums savings :

10 Ways to Save Big on auto Insurance

Auto insurance can make a big hole in your pocket—if you let it. Insurance premiums vary hugely between companies and agencies, but if you’re willing to take some time and shop around, it’s easy to find something affordable.

To get the best rates on vehicle insurance, we recommend these 10 money-saving tips:

• Always maintain a good driving record. If you’re one of those people who consistently breaks the law or drives too fast, your vehicle insurance rates will show it.
• Get competitive quotes from different insurance providers. The more you have to compare against, the better informed you’ll be-and the more likely you’ll get the best rates.
• Check insurance costs before you buy a new vehicle. Find out which features increase insurance premiums and which ones lower them. Keep these things in mind and choose your new vehicle carefully!
• Choose higher deductibles. This could reduce your vehicle insurance costs by at least fifteen to twenty percent.
• Consider buying vehicle insurance from the same company you have your home, accident or life insurance with. Many companies offer auto insurance discounts to clients who buy more than one kind of policy.
• Keep your credit record clean. Did you know some insurers take a look at your credit score before setting your rates? They do! So pay bills on time, keep loans to a minimum and keep credit balances low for the most stellar reports.
• Don’t duplicate coverage. Consider dropping medical payments coverage if you have a good health insurance policy. Because medical costs are so high, this could save you up to 40 percent on vehicle insurance premiums!
• Choose where you live carefully. Due to risk of theft, sometimes living and parking your auto in a rural community or suburb costs less than in the city.
• Take advantage of discounts like low-risk career, low mileage, car pooling, no violations or accidents, taking defensive driving courses or senior citizen price cuts.
• Insure all your family’s vehicles together, and check group rates through corporate organizations, community clubs, and professional or alumni bodies.

We are sure that this will be very helpful.